Scientists at Yale University in the United States have shown that a lack of a certain fatty acid in the body can cause an abnormal reaction of the immune system, leading to multiple sclerosis – a serious, incurable disease in which the sheaths of nerve fibers are destroyed. A possible way to avoid an autoimmune disorder is announced in a press release on EurekAlert !.
Experts have found that patients with multiple sclerosis lack normal levels of oleic acid, which is found in butter, meat (beef, chicken and pork), cheese, nuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, pasta, milk, olives and avocados. Lack of acid leads to the loss of metabolic sensors that activate T cells that mediate the immune system’s response to infection.
When researchers injected oleic acid into the adipose tissue of multiple sclerosis patients, levels of regulatory T cells increased. Without the overwhelming action of regulatory T cells, the immune system can attack healthy cells in the central nervous system. Thus, eating food with oleic acid may be a lifesaver against a dangerous autoimmune disease, although this needs to be confirmed in further research.